Living Room Update :: New Curtains
One thing that I really wanted to accomplish this summer was to make new curtains for my living room. I searched for fabric on and off all winter and spring and researched how to sew pinch pleat drapes. Since there are four windows in my living room, sewing curtains for this room is not a small task. The material is expensive and it takes a large chunk of time to do the construction. I ultimately decided to buy curtains for this room. They weren’t inexpensive but in all honesty, it probably would have cost just as much for me to make them myself even if I didn’t factor in my time.
When I made plaid valences a number of years ago for this room, it served as a family room rather than a formal living room and it had a different rug and different furniture. When we added an addition to our home, we gained a family room making this a formal space. A new rug, new love seat, church sale chairs, and inherited furniture filled the space. I still liked the valences, so they stayed. In recent years I’ve grown very tired of this look and wanted an update. Pinch Pleat Back Tab Interlined Window Curtain Panels from Bed Bath and Beyond are what I selected. I winced as I pressed “buy” when ordering them, but admit that I am very satisfied with them, even if I didn’t make them myself.
I chose teal to bring out the teal that’s in the rug. 95” panels cover from just under the molding to the floor, the exact look I wanted.
New curtain rods add another expense when installing new window treatments. These were found at Lowes. I would like to upgrade the shades but my budget says I’ll have to live with these for a while.
The rods were selected because I liked the color and the stone finial on the ends. I’ve been wanting pinch pleat drapes for a long time for this room and am so happy to have them without having to make them myself. I’ve read directions for making them over and over and while not that difficult, it does appear to be quite time consuming. I probably saved myself a week of work and aggravation!
Paint is an update that I’d love to give this room but I don’t think it will happen any time soon. I’d also like to make slipcovers for the two wing back chairs. I got these from my mom’s church sale for $4.00 each! I liked the green when I had them recovered but now am ready for a change. Now I need to research how to make slipcovers. It’s always something when you like to work around your home!
It feels good to get this project checked off of my summer “to-do” list. I have a month left to enjoy myself before it is back to school time.
I’m actually at school today for a project that I’ll share tomorrow. If you have a middle school aged daughter or know a middle school aged girl, you won’t want to miss tomorrow’s post.
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Sharing With:
Between Naps on the Porch, Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home, Setting for Four, Sand and Sisal, Yesterday on Tuesday, Fearlessly Creative Mammas, Confessions of a Plate Addict, A Stroll Thru Life, Just a Girl and Her Blog
Beautiful! As always Paula.
Your curtains look wonderful. Love the color. I like the selection Lowe’s offers on the curtain rods- I ordered mine from their web site last year. My mother used to make curtains for her house but it was very labor intensive.
Paula, your new curtains look beautiful and they really change the look of the room so much! This i something I need to do in my house, too, so you are inspiring me to get on it! 🙂 Thanks for sharing – happy Monday and hope you had a great holiday weekend!
Miss Mustard Seeds has a great tutorial for discovering wing back chairs! Beautiful curtains….
Miss Mustard Seeds has a great tutorial for recovering wing back chairs! Beautiful curtains….
Your new curtains look great. I like that you hung them high for a longer look.
Wow, love the new drapes! They make the room look like it has 10 foot tall ceilings…I am glad you treated yourself to store bought curtains instead of spending a week making them….I used to watch my Grandma do it and the curse words would fly….LOL. They always turn out great but can be such a pain to make!
Amazing transformation from such a simple change! They room is so elegant looking. I love it! Enjoy it!
Just love the look of this room with your new drapes. Perfect color too!
Wow! The room looks completely different! What a difference curtains can make. I love these, even if you didn’t sew them yourself….. Maybe especially so.. so much easier, right? 🙂
XoX, Crystelle
Crystelle Boutique
Love the drapes and the way the whole room turned out. I like those pillows too. Very nice. I’m like you. I like to see if I can do it all myself before I spend all the money. Those pleated drapes do seem like a lot of work though. Time better spent at the beach.
These look beautiful, Paula! I love that you went with the teal! They look gorgeous. Isn’t it funny that DIYers do projects because they love to work with their hands and be thrifty, but sometimes buying actually saves money in the long run! I realized that when I made curtains the last time (simple ones, not pleated). All that fabric for long curtains adds up fast. I can’t wait to see what other projects you have coming up!
Thanks, Megan. I was lucky to find pretty much exactly what I wanted for my curtains. Sewing the long panels plus doing the pleating would have been a huge pain and I would have had to do it eight times to make enough for all of my windows.
Paula
Love your new window coverings! As a hobby sewer re the curtains, find sometimes with the cost of fabric and notions plus the time it takes it just doesn’t pay to do your own. Also years ago when both my children ‘left the nest’ (two weeks apart) I was commissioned to make everything from duvet covers, bed skirts etc. and as well did some upholstery projects for their new abodes where lots of yardage was required and ended up with a frozen shoulder. The latter of which required a year of physiotherapy and acupuncture treatment. Needless to say; ‘lesson learned’. ☺ -Brenda-
I love the new curtains, they are absolutely gorgeous. What a fabulous change they make to the room.
Your drapes look wonderful Paula! Love the fabric and color…so pretty! Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY…
Blessings,
Cindy
(You’re being featured this week 🙂